June 2012 Page 15
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"People in the digital environment are
browsing through, they're not stopping
for long, so we need an introductory
language that will grab them and hold
their attention," he explained.
"Brevity is at the core of that. Twitter
introduces new brevity -- people's
attention span is changing and we have
to challenge that, invite them to a more
reflective level but at entry level we need
to get people quickly."
He said this involved a convergence
of text, sound and image, in a similar
way that the Church used stained glass
windows in the past to spread the Word.
"I think we can deal with that," he said.
Another aspect of content that needed
consideration was the credibility of the
source of that content.
"Communication is about relationships...
content can be brilliant but if there is not
a sense of trust or resonance, then that
communication can be lost," he said.
"It comes down to our credibility, how
credible is our relationship with Christ?
Is Christ the one forming us as a
community? Always in our communication
we need to bring it back to why we are
talking about this, is it rooted in the
teachings of Christ?"
And on an area of new media that has
particular relevance for young people
preoccupied with Facebook and Twitter,
he warned that we should now allow
friendship, "one of the richest gifts we can
ever have", to be cheapened.
"Don't equate quantity of friendship with
quality; friendship takes time and intimacy
to grow and trust. Let's recover that," he
said.
"Friendship will often only flourish when
there is a horizon and expectation of
faithfulness and commitment -- if I can
be switched off in the morning and
'defriended' how can I really grow in trust
with that person.
"When someone knows who I am, what
it is that makes me who I am, what my
core hopes and expectations are, in that
context I can evangelise."
For online video interviews with
speakers from the conference, view this
page on our digital version
at www.thesoutherncross.org.au
Silence
speaks
volumes
Finding space for God in a consumer-
oriented, technologically-advanced
society is the challenge issued by Pope
Benedict XVI in his Message for the 46th
World Communications Day.
Pope Benedict referred to silence as
an integral element of communication:
"In silence we are better able to listen
to and understand ourselves; ideas
come to birth and acquire depth; we
understand with greater clarity what it
is we want to say and what we expect
from others; and we choose how to
express ourselves."
By remaining silent, the Pope said,
we allow others to speak and express
themselves and can test our own words
and ideas. "In this way, space is created
for mutual listening, and deeper human
relationships become possible," he said.
Chair of the Australian Catholic Media
Council, Bishop Peter Ingham, said that
despite today's noisy culture of mobile
phones, tweets, Facebook, of roads
clogged with traffic and a more secular
context, God continues to call us into
relationship with Him and one another.
"In Australia, consumerism is very
high and technologically we are very
advanced," he said.
"This can often prevent us finding the
space and indeed the silence we need
to reflect on our lives and discern our
way with Christian integrity."
Bishop Ingham said it was with this
in mind that the Australian Catholic
Bishops Conference had provided
resources for parishes and schools
to help pray and reflect on the Pope's
World Communications Day message.
TECHNO TALK: Debating the pros
and cons of social media are, from
left: Emma rossi, Media Executive
at the Australian Communications
and Media Authority, Scott
Stephens, Religion and Ethics
editor for ABC Online and
Geraldine Doogue, presenter of
the Compass program on ABC TV.
Below: Dr Matthew Tan, lecturer
in theology and philosophy at
Campion College and Monsignor
Paul Tighe, Secretary to the
Pontifical Council for Social
Communications.
Photos: Kerry Myers
cyberspace